For decades, passwords have been the default gateway to our digital lives, but their days as the primary authentication method might finally be numbered.
This as security experts increasingly view passkeys and other forms of passwordless login as safer, faster, and more user-friendly than traditional passwords.
At its core, a passkey is a cryptographic credential tied to a user’s device and biometric verification (like a fingerprint or face scan), replacing the need to remember or type a password.
When you log in, the passkey — stored in your device’s secure enclave or a password manager — authenticates you without ever sending a password over the network.
“Passwords are fundamentally broken,” says Andrew Shikiar, executive director of the FIDO Alliance, the global industry group behind the standards for passwordless authentication.
“Passkeys are built to replace them and outdated forms of two-factor authentication entirely,” he told Wired magazine.
Industry data reflect this shift. Password manager Dashlane reported a 400 percent increase in passkey use in 2024, and that passkey users see a 70 percent higher sign-in success rate compared with traditional logins.
Over 100 major websites now support passkeys, with e-commerce and finance apps leading adoption.
Tech giants are also signaling a transition. Microsoft began phasing out saved passwords in its Authenticator app in 2025, favoring passkey sign-ins by default — in part because its systems recorded 7,000 password attacks per second across its networks last year.
Meanwhile, Meta’s Facebook is rolling out passkey support to reduce phishing attacks tied to conventional logins, according to The Verge. Why does this matter?
Phishing ‘impossible’
Traditional passwords can be guessed, stolen in data breaches, or captured via sophisticated phishing scams. By contrast, passkeys use public-key cryptography: a public key held by the service and a private key stored on your device that only responds to authentication challenges once you unlock it with biometrics or a PIN.
That makes phishing nearly impossible and eliminates the weakest link in password security — human memory.
Yet adoption isn’t universal. While major platforms and browsers now support passkeys, many sites — particularly smaller services — still rely on passwords and one-time codes.
Experts say the transition will take years, especially in regions with slower technology penetration. Still, the trend is undeniable.
For most users, the practical benefit is clear: no more forgotten passwords, no more reset emails, and significantly fewer successful credential attacks. As more companies enable passkey support and users embrace the convenience, passwords may survive only as legacy tech — relics of an earlier, far less secure era.